Means for applying labels or the like upon two or more sides of boxes, particularly match boxes



Aug. 30, 1932. KLUTE 1,873,967

MEANS FOR APPLYING LABELS OR THE LIKE UPON TWO OR MORE SIDES OF BOXES,PARTICULARLY MATCH BOXES Filed Feb. 8, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 30,1932.

MEANS FOR APPLYING LABELS OR THE LIK MORE SIDES OF BOXES, PAR

Filed- Feb.

2 Sheets-Sheet Patented AW. 3c, 1932 enone MARTIN KL'UTE, or os'rnnAKER, nonwAY, nssrenon T0 AKTIEIBOLAGET ems,

, vnnr a ronnannnn, or KALHIAR, swnnnn res PATENT .OFFIE I MEANS ronAPPLYING LABELS 0R THE U901; ij wb, OR MORE SIDES BOXES [PARTICULARLYMATCH B0 7 Application filed February 8,1930, Serial No. 426,870, and inSweden February 5 1929.

The machines hitherto used forapplying labels to boxes, particularlymatch boxes, are usually constructed so as to feed the boxes in a stringone behind the other through the machine to have the boxes first coatedwith a paste and then provided with labels which are thereafter causedto stick fast by pressing and further smoothed by a separate pressingmechanism, the boxes being then collected in rows into a frame forfurther conveyance. In order to attach labels to more than one side ofthe boxes it has been necessary according to the methods hitherto used.to repeat the same procedure in another machine with the result that,for double labelling, twice as much work and twice as much space as insingle labelling were required.

The present invention has for its object to enable the attaching oflabels, banderoles, rubbing strips, or thelike to two or more sides ofboxes in a simple way by combining a number of singlelabellingmachinescorresponding to the number ofjsides .to be labelled to operatein series and providing a turning mechanism between each two, adj acentmachines to receive the boxes discharged from one machine anddeliver'them to the next machine after having brought them to a suitableposition for labelling therein. V

In the accompanying drawings some embodiments of the invention areillustrated in a diagrammatic manner. I

Fig. 1 is a side elevation and, I I

Fig. 2 is a plan View of an embodimentin which the boxes are fed in astraight line through two single machines arranged" in series andpreferably combined'to form a unitary structure.

' Fig.3 is a section on the line A B and,

Fig. 4: isa section. on theline (3-D in Fig. 1. v

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a detail. .Fig..-6 is a plan view "of amodified form of turning mechanism and, j

Fig.7? is a section of this mechanism on the line E-F in Fig. 6. p r

Fig. 8 isa plan View of a modified embodiment of a structure comprisingtwo single machines. r v

- Fig. 9 is a special cross-section of the turning mechanism of the 7structure shown in Fig.8.-

p In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the boxes are supplied, asfrom a box machine or a machine for introducing drawers into shells, tothe labelling machine, where they are engaged by a reciprocating piston2 operating to move the boxes in well known way to a .pastecontainer 3,a label container 4 and a pressing device 5 to have labels attached tothe upper sideof the boxes. The boxes are then fed into the turningmechanism underthe pressure of the succeeding boxes,

said mechanism being formed with athroughextending aperture 6 (Figs. 3to 5) to receive the boxes. The turning mechanism shown comprises arotatable disk 7 mounted in a stationary'ring 8 and provided with atoothed wheel 9 and a Geneva-stop disk 10. The toothed wheel 9 is drivenby a toothed wheel 11 ofthe same diameter and pitch as the wheel 9, saidwheel 11, however, having no teeth on half of its periphery.v During acomplete revolution of the respective driving quently, perform half arevolutiononly. In

order to hold the turningmechanism against rotation duringthe period oftime in which the toothed wheels 9 and 11 are out of mesh cam disk 13secured to the shaft 12 is provided which cooperates with the stop disk10in a way that will readily appear from -.Fig. 4; In order to reducethe stresses on the teeth during the acceleration of the turnmgmechanism the toothed wheel 11 may be formed with an auxiliary tooth 1iand the toothed wheel 9 with a corresponding stop dent that the toothedwheels should be so adjusted relatively-t0 each other as to beout ofmesh and the turning mechanism consequently held against operationduring that period of time in which the piston effects the feedingof therow of boxes andthe conshaft 12 the turning mechanism will, consechine.Tothis end the middle portion of said the boxes, that the boxes will nottake up the correct position right below the label container 17 In orderto adjust this position the Geneva-stop disk 10 may be provided'withscrewshaped shoulders 19, as shown in Fig. 5, whereby the box lastdischarged from the turning mechanism will always be brought to theexact positioin'relatively to which the positions of the paste container16' and the label container 17 may be adjusted.

In Figs. 6 and 7 a modified embodiment of the turning mechanism isillustrated.

Said turning mechanism comprises a disk 21 mounted at 20 which is formedwith a num ber of apertures 22 situated at equal distance apart from theaxis of the disk. The disk 21 may be driven by a device similar to thatshown in Figs. 1 to a or. simply by apawl and ratchet gear rotating thedisk through an an 1e corres ondin to the an ular distance between twoadjacent apertures for each box supplied. The boxes will thus be movedhalf a revolution and then ejected by means of a piston 23 to belabelled in the second single machine. As an advantage of thisconstruction it may be mentioned that, provided a sufficient number ofapertures is formed in the disk, the label first applied will have timeto get dry sufliciently so as not tobe displaced in the feeding ofthebox then to follow.

,A' third embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 8 in whichthe boxes supplied. to the labelling machine A are first passed below apaste container 3 'Then they-are engaged by a reciprocating piston 24operating to move the boxes to a labelcontainer 4 and a pressing device5 By thus passing the boxes directly to the label container the piston24: will secure a high accuracy as regards the exact position of theboxes during the labelling operation. Detachably mounted to thelabelling machine A is a turning apparatusB the turning mechanism ofwhich comprises a rotatable cylinder 27 mounted in a stationary ring 9and adapted to receive the boxesdischarged from the macylinder boundedby two planesparallel to the axis of the cylinder has been removed, andinto the space 28 thus obtained, see Fig. 9, the box is fed under thepressure of the succeeding boxes. The driving device for the cylindermay be similar to that shown in Figures 14 thus efiecting a rotation ofthe cylinder through half a revolution between those periods of time inwhich the piston 24 effects the feeding of the row of boxes and theintroduction of a box into the turning mechanism. The box thus turnedwith its labelled side downis fed out of the cylinder by means'of areciprocating piston 25 entering the space 28, and under the pressure ofthe succeeding boxes it is delivered to the secondlabelling machine Gdetachably mounted to the turning apparatus B and operating in thesa-memanner as labelling machine A. Thus, after passing below a pastecontainer 16 the boxes are engaged by a reciprocating piston 26operating to move the boxes: to a label container 17 and a pressingdevice 18 whereupon the boxes now labelled upon two of their sides arecollected in any appropriate Way.

For applying labels, banderoles,*or rubbing stripsto two adjacent sidesof a box the turning mechanism shown in Figs. 6 and 7 may be used, inwhich case the number of apertures of the turning mechanism should be amultiple of 4. The boxes may in such case be ejected by means of apistonafter a rotation of 90 or 270, the said last mentioned angle being themost favorable one as far as the drying of the label is concerned. i

What I claim is p 1. A device for attaching labelsto two sides at leastof boxes, particularly match boxes, comprising a. number of machines forsingle labelling corresponding to the number of sides to be labelled,which are combinedto operate inseries, and means to receive the boxesdischarged from one machine, turn them to the position required forlabelling in the-next machine, and deliver them to said next machine,each of said machines for single labeling being complete and detachablein order to be temporarily used when one label only is tobe attached toeach 'box.

2. A device for attaching labels to two sides; at least of. boxes,particularly match boxes, comprisingin combination a number of machinesfor single'labelling corresponding to the number of sides to belabelled, which are arranged to operate in series, and rotatable meansprovided between each two successive machines to receive the boxesdischarged from one. machine, turn them to the position required forlabelling in the next machine, and deliver them to said next ma.- chine,each'of said machines for single labeling being complete and detachablein order to be temporarily used when one label only arranged to operatein series, and a rotatable disk provided between each two successivemachines and apertured to receive the boxes discharged from onemachine,turn them to 1 5 the position required for labelling in the nextmachine, and deliver them to said next machine, each of said machinesfor single labeling being complete and detachable in order to betemporarily used when one label only is to be attached to each box. 7 4.A device for attaching labels to two sides at least of boxes,particularly match boxes, comprising in combination a number of machinesfor single labelling corresponding to the number of sides to belabelled, which are arranged to operate in series, and a rotatable diskprovided between each two successive machines and formed with aperturesadapted each to receive a box discharged from one machine and deliver itto the next machine after a certain rotation of the disk.

5. A device for attaching labels to two sides at least of boxes,particularly match boxes, comprising in combination a number of singlelabelling machines arranged to operate in series, a turning mechanismbetween each two successive machines to receive the boxes dischargedfrom one machine, turn them to the position required for labelling inthe next machine, and deliver them after turning to said next machine,and means on said turning mechanism to bring every box when dischargedfrom the turning mechanism to a predetermined position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name.

GEORG MARTIN KLUTE.

